For spectators, it’s a lot of fun, but Glendora High School football coach Mark Pasquarella isn’t all that thrilled about Friday’s rubber match against Upland in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Central Division playoffs.

Glendora ended Upland’s 2007 season in the first round of the Inland Division playoffs when quarterback Drew Kaluzny hit Michael Edwards for the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime to lift the Tartans to a 29-28 victory.

Upland answered back in this season’s opener in September, handing the Tartans a 35-21 nonleague loss.

Glendora (8-3) opened the playoffs last Friday with a 56-21 victory over No. 3 West Valley, and Upland (9-2) beat Mt. Baldy League champion Chaffey 52-18, setting up Friday’s game at Upland.

“It’s fun, but in some ways you wish you were playing somebody else,” Pasquarella said. “This is our third time playing them in 12 games and we open with them next year.

“But obviously we’re familiar with each other and the kids are fired up about playing them. It doesn’t really matter who you get at this point because there are legitimately eight teams left that can win it.”

All three Sierra and Baseline teams advanced to the quarterfinals.

“That doesn’t surprise me, and it makes it kind of neat because you’ve got a lot of strong teams with different strengths and styles,” Pasquarella said. “We think we’re capable of winning the whole thing, but you can’t look that far. All we’re thinking about is getting our guys ready for Upland.”

The Tartans fumbled three times in their season-opening loss to Upland, and Kaluzny was intercepted once despite completing 13 of 21 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown.

“What makes (Nunes) tough is not that many people get to him,” Pasquarella said. “They do a nice job with their protection scheme, and on defense they make you work for everything. It’s a battle, it always is with them.”

The Tartans were senior-oriented a year ago and had to replace several starters, especially on defense. But they’ve improved over the course of the season and might even be stronger with junior Andre Holmes, receiver Wallace Gonzalez and stable seniors Kaluzny and Chad Young, the latter of whom’s insertion at fullback has added another dimension.

“We expected to start off slow defensively,” Pasquarella said. “The difference is on offense, because we think we’re more explosive.”

A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR

When Azusa first-year coach Joe Scherf took over, his goal was to win a playoff game – a modest accomplishment considering the Aztecs were 3-7 a year ago.

That goal obviously changed after the No. 2 Aztecs (10-1) knocked off Covina 27-6 in the first round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs last week.

The Aztecs face Temple City (6-4) next in Friday’s quarterfinals at Citrus College.

“They run the ball a lot, but they’re not as big as Covina, so we feel like we have a good chance if we keep playing with the emotion that’s got us here and don’t turn the ball over, because that’s always a key.”

The Aztecs are having their best season since reaching the CIF-SS semifinals in 1975 and will practice on Thanksgiving for the first time since then.

“I told the kids to tell all their parents they’ve got practice on Turkey Day,” Scherf said. “Not one of them said they couldn’t make it.”

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